With the growth in popularity of pony cylinders came numerous methods of attaching them to your main set.
£35
With the growth in popularity of pony cylinders came numerous methods of attaching them to your main set. The majority of devices use a two-part clamping system, whereby one half of the clamp is fastened to your cylinder and the other to the pony bottle. The two can then be clipped together, usually by a spring-loaded mechanism, and held firmly in place. Hexham Developments' new clamp follows this trend, but to make it stand out from the crowd, the company has manufactured it from impact-modified nylon rather than stainless steel or aluminium alloy.
So, after two weeks of almost daily use, how did it stack up against its competitors? In one way, better; in another, worse. The not-so-good aspect was that it didn't feel as secure as some of the metal clamps I have tested - although it never parted company with the cylinder, it did waggle around a bit. Also, the inner handle that releases the clamp can be fiddly when wearing gloves, but does its job well.
Its biggest strength, however, is its lack of sharp edges. Hardboat and shore divers may not appreciate this, but RIB owners certainly will. Having no protruding bits of metal not only saves fingers and drysuits but also potential tears in the RIB tubes.
The clamp's nylon construction has obviously brought the manufacturing cost down, as is shown in its very competitive price of around half that of most other metal clamps. It is supplied with its own cam belt, so should fit any size of pony cylinder.
VERDICT
Inexpensive nylon clamp does the job
Value 9/10
Performance 8/10
CONTACT
Company Hexham Developments
Phone 01434 606234
Web www.hexdev.co.uk
